Automobile-signal



D. W. GRAZIER.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1920.

1,351,513.. Patented .31,1920.

- lvvuemtoz wuvmoo I y I I D; W. GRAZIER AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

-APPL|CAT|0N FILED FEB. 24. I920.

Patnted Aug. 31,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2L IllIt!Ill!itllllllllllllllllll awn/nap DORE W. GRAZIER, OFJ'OHNS'IDWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE-SiGNAL.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DoRii W. GRAZIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Automobile-Signal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to signaling devices, and more particularly to mechanical signals employed on motor vehicles, for indicating to persons at the rear of the machine the intended direction of travel thereof.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be purely automatic in one of its movements, one which will readily respond to the operating means, and one which will indicate in daylight as efiiciently as in the dark.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signaling body includinga casing and a movable signaling member within the casing, the bearings for supporting the movable signaling member forming lamp sockets to receive lamps for illuminatingthe signs.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of the construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 illustrates a side elevational view of a motor vehicle supplied with asignaling device'constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig.2 illustratesa longitudinal sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. V

Fig. 3 illustrates a transverse sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: illustrates a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig.2.: A Y

Fig. 5 illustrates a plan view of the. operating lever, and 1 Fig. 6 illustrates a'sectional View taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. 'i Y Referrin'g to the drawings in detail, the reference character 5 designates the casing of the signaling device, which is shown as supported by the bracket 6 and has connection with one of the rear mud guards of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 31, 1920. Application filedFebruary 24, 1920. Serial No. 360,738.

the automobile, to which the device is applied.

This casing 5 is preferably circular in cross section as indicated by Fig. 3 of the drawings, and is provided with a flared portion 7 having inturned. fianges 8 to provide supporting means for the lens 9 through which the rotating signal member may be observed.

. End sections 10 forma part of the casin 5, and are apertured substantially centrally thereof, the walls of'the apertures being preferably threaded to receive the threaded portions of the sockets llswhich are shown as positioned in the openings, there being a threaded washer 12, secured to the inner wall of each end section 10,- embracing portions of the. sockets 11 and adapted to cooperate with 'theannular flange 13 of the respective socket members for clamping the socket members to the'end'sections.

The brackets 6 are disposed at opposite ends of the casing 5 and have forked eX- tremities, the upper forked extremity of eachbracket beingprovided with openings to accommodate securing means which means is adapted to pass'through predetermined openings formed in the end sections 10, and since there are a plurality of these openingsjprovided, it'will be obvious that theconnectionbetween' the casing and the bracketsimay be changed to support the easing at various angles, at the "will; ofthe operator. The bolts 'li are employed for securing the bracket 6to the end sections 10 in a manner to prevent movemen't of the casing with relation to. the; brackets.

U The socket. members 11 are tubular, and relatively long so that portions thereof eX- tend anfappreciable distance within the easing 5 to provide bearings zfor the inner signaling memberi 15 which is box-like in formation, the side wallsthereof being formed of a continuous strip of metalbent at predeterminedIpoints to provide side members, and as shownthese side members :are cutout to form indicating characters,

provided witha cutoutportionlbackedby .l a red glass to provide a taillight but it is to i be understood that this :stencilmay be constructed inany suitable manner, tomeet various requirements of use. The stencil 16 together with its backing 15 are lnserted through the opening 22 formed at one end of the inner signaling member 15, so that these plates and backings may be readily removed and replaced in the event that 1t 'is found desirable to supplement another form of stencil or backing.

the inner signaling member, the flexible operating means being shown at 21 and has one of its ends secured to the drum 18 by means of the screw 22, a portion of the flexible member being wound on the drum 18 so that movement of the flexible member 21 in one direction causes a rotary movement to be imparted to the inner signaling member 15.

The drum 19, disposed at the opposite end of the signaling member 15 provides a support for one end of the coiled spring 23, the opposite end of said coiled spring having connection with the inner walls of the casing as at 24, so that when the flexible member 21 is moved, in a predetermined direction, the coiled spring 23 is wound about the drum 19"to increase the tension thereof with the result that when the flexible member 21 is released, the inner signaling mem ber is automatically returned to its normal position.

7 Both of these drums 18 and 19 are supported on the socket members l'l, as clearly illustrated by Fig; 2 of the drawings, and

are free to revolve thereon, thus presenting a structure to readily respond to the flexible operating member 21 to the end that the '50 signaling member '15 may be readily and easily operated; I

In order that the end sections 16 may be supported'inproper spaced relation to each other to eliminate any possibility of the side walls ofthe inner signaling member l5 rat- V tling, or Working loose, relatively'longconnecting rods25' are'providedfwhich rods have the usual heads 26 formed onone of l the respective ends thereof, the opposite ends of; said rodslbeing'threaded' to accom' mod ate'the 'nuts 27; i e Electric "lamps 28 are positioned in the lamp sockets and'are supplied with electric current through the'plugs29 andcircuit 30 which extends through a suitableopening ether to the left, the inscription Left determine the course usual and well known manner.

A tubular member 31 has connection with 7 the rear of the casing 5 and extends for ward, terminating at a point adjacent the r 1 operating lever 32, which as shown, is sup ported on the dash or other convenient place of an automobile to which the signal is applied, so that the same would be disposed in a position to be readily manipulated by the operator of the car. I

The tubular member 31 houses the flexible member 21, which flexible member 21 has connection with the operating lever 32 which also has connection with the drum 33 so that when the lever 38 is operated,'the flexible member 21 may be coiledor wound around the drum to cause the operation of the inner signaling member 15.

The location of the inner signaling member 15 with relation to its casing 5, is such that one of the side walls of the signaling members 15 is in constant register with the lens 9, or in a position so that the indicating characters thereon may be readily observedthrough the lens 9.

In the operation of the device, assuming that an automobile equipped with the signaling device is to take a direction to the left of the path of travel of the machine, the operatinglever32 is wound on the drum 33, the drum being of a diametereqnal to the diameter of the drum'8 causes the sidewall of the inner signalin member 15' which carries the inscription llight to, be moved to a position in registry with the lens 9. It follows that on movement of the lever toa position oppositeto that shown in Fig. 5, the word Stop is brought to an indicating position, and when the lever 32 is moved faris moved to an indicating position. 7

From the foregoing it is obvious that persons at the rear of a machine equippedwith an indicating device constructed in accordance with the present invention, may readily which the machine is to take.' J j It will of coursebe understood that for various movements of the car, various move accomplished for indicating. 7 Having thus described 7 the ments of the inner signaling member 15 are Q 1. In a signaling device, a casing, an in connection with the end sections for 's'ecur-f mg the end sections in proper. spaced rela-1 ner signaling member supported within the casing, said inner signaling memberincludinglside walls, said sidewalls having cut i-;out portions indicating'direction, end sections havingoflset portions providing seats for the side walls, connecting rods having tion, lamp sockets carried by the casing, said inner signaling member adapted to rotate on said lamp sockets, means for moving the inner signaling member in one direction, and means for returning the inner signaling member to its normal position.

2. In a signaling device, a casing, said casing including end sections, said end sections having central openings a lamp socket having a threaded portion adapted to be positioned Within each of the openings, said lamp sockets extending into the casing, each of said lamp sockets having a flange adapted to engage the end sections, a threaded ring operating on the threaded portion of each of the lamp sockets and cooperating with the flanges for securing the lamp sockets to the casing, an inner signaling member supported on the lamp sockets, flexible means for moving the signaling member in one direction, and means for returning the signaling member to its normal position.

8. In a signaling device, a casing, an in ner signaling member supported Within the casing, said inner signaling member comprising, end sections, each of said end sections having offset portions to provide grooves, metallic members forming the side Walls of the inner signaling member, and positioned Within the grooves, and one of said offset members being provided With an opening to permit one of said side members to be removed therefrom.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

- DORE W. GRAZIER.

Witnesses:

SARA W. GRAZIER, HATTIE WOLFE. 

